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Tartine Bakery
Categories: Food Bakeries Restaurants Sandwiches Bakeries, Sandwiches [Edit]
600 Guerrero St(between 18th St & 19th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 487-2600
- Hours:
Mon 8 am - 7 pm
Tue-Wed 7:30 am - 7 pm
Thu-Fri 7:30 am - 8 pm
Sat 8 am - 8 pm
Sun 9 am - 8 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
3314 reviews for Tartine Bakery
Review Highlights
"The morning bun was great, loved the orange glaze."
(in 499 reviews)
"Deliciously sweet, scrumptious bread pudding."
(in 797 reviews)
"Their hazelnut and banana cream pastries are fantastic."
(in 402 reviews)
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3314 reviews in English
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Review from Alexa L.
Waterford, MI
2/4/2012
As far as bakeries go, this one is by far one of the best I have ever been to. The line was out the door, but it moved surprisingly fast and was well worth the wait. The line was actually a blessing in disguise since it allowed time to attempt to narrow down what item(s) I wanted to try.
The two items I narrowed it down to were the croissant croissant and veggie quiche. Both were absolutely amazing. I've heard from my other friends that they have yet to get something they don't like. I can't wait to go back and try something new!
I did not try their lattes, but I look forward to next time I visit. -
Review from Johnny W.
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Oh, Tartine, how I hate your lines, and how they rouse me from my lazy Sunday mornings just so I can beat the crush of people! For that, you have my eternal ire, but really, it's only because I'm out here much less often than I'd like!
I still remember my first time, where a friend and I ordered ~$75 worth of small pastries, taking bites out of almost all of them. These included their vegetarian quiche ($4.25), bread pudding ($3.50), banana cream tart ($6.50), pain au chocolate croissant ($4.25), frangipane croissant ($4.25), morning bun ($3.75), and a smattering of things to go. My most recent visit this past weekend included a subset of these, as well as a frangipane tart, to try something new.
All things considered, their frangipane croissants are easily the winner of the bunch, with almost all the others vying for a close second. And considering I don't even like bread pudding, that's probably quite a feat they've accomplished here. The only things I'd really pass on are their coffee drinks, and their frangipane tarts, since the fruit completely overpowers the pastry.
A few things to keep in mind: their banana cream tarts aren't what you would normally expect when thinking of banana cream pies, and are instead much lighter; prices may be a bit high, but their pastries are massive - one would be wise to split them up into several portions; they don't open until 9am on Sundays, but don't be surprised to see a long line even before doors open; and seating can be a bit tough to find sometimes, but don't be afraid to share a table! -
Review from sharlyn g.
San Leandro, CA
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to give this place a higher rating, I really did!
When you stand in line , you can smell the nice buttery aroma, almost like it's teasing you.. you can smell the butter, the almonds, the cheese, the pastries being baked it just smells like it's the best pastries in the world! and if you have to wait in the long line like I did, just by the smell it seemed like it was well worth the wait! so just from the heavenly smell while in line I thought 5 stars!
so yes it was finally my turn to order! I I see everyone who was eating in with a Banana Cream Tart, so DUH I order one too! its obviously good since everyone is stuffing their faces with them! and Since I was taking my pastries home which was atleast 40miles away I order 2 Banana cream tarts,
( incase it was super heavenly, my husband would get his own, because I dont like to share! lol)
BANANA CREAM TART-SMALL $7 - good but not , I'll drive all the way back stand in line great!
ham and cheese( gruyere ) croissants $5.50 it was big! ( buttery flaky, but not OMG I NEED to spend almost 6 bucks on another!)
frangipane croissant $4.5 ( flaky , buttery, but where the almond filling? )
double pain au chocolat $ 5 ( not so great.. )
Chocolate Soufflé Cake slice - $5.50 ( my daughter said it was great,, I didn't try)
so , since it was way too expensive in my opinion, I'm not much of a fan as I thought I would be. Yes their baked good are great. but its not as great considering their prices! I would give them 5 stars had their prices represented how their pastries tasted. They need more UMPH! if they want to charge that much. .. -
Review from Mel P.
My friend and I had lunch here today and it was super yum!
For starters: we split a warm bread pudding with fresh fruit
Lunch: Spicy Turkey - Peppered turkey breast, provolone, broccoli rabe pesto - this thing is huge and pretty tasty.
Drinks: Iced Green Tea - free refills but you have to bring your glass to them to fill it up
Dessert: cafe mocha
There isn't a lot of seating available inside but we got there just before noon and found a table. There is outdoor seating which is great in the summer, but not so much during winter.
Don't forget to bus your own table =)
Lunch for two = $50 -
Review from Marilyn T.
Palo Alto, CA
2/2/2012
I don't understand why a perfectly good dessert place would be closed at 7 or 8pm every night. Maybe it's so they can save energy to fight the weekend morning crowds in search of the morning bun. It's a small space, but on a weeknight, snagging a table isn't as challenging.
I was disappointed that their espresso machine was broken, as I really wanted some dark coffee to go with my dessert tonight.
A part of me needed something savory, so I tried the giant gougere, mostly hollow (as it should be) but with a thin layer of peppery cheese. I imagine it would have been much better warm, but it satisfied my salt craving.
As for sweets, the chocolate pudding was smooth, not overly sweet, and pretty addictive. It's easy to put spoonfuls of it into your mouth mindlessly. The devil's cake was kind of your classic layered chocolate cake - pretty dense, not overly sweet, definitely needing some coffee to go with it. I'm usually not a big lemon person, but the lemon cream tart was actually pretty good - very smooth with just the right amount of a pastry shell crust, not too tangy.
There were lots of other tempting items in the case. Brownies and cookies are on the more expensive side, but other cakes and breads are more average in price. I can't wait for the banana cream tart with chocolate and caramel this weekend (thin crust, generous amount of bananas, relatively light cream...)! -
Review from Lucy W.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
I will not wait 45 mins for bunch. I'm not in NYC where's there's a wait for everything and I don't believe that this place is so much more superior than others to warrant such a wait. SF has many more local eats that aren't crowded with tourists.
So why did I give it 4 stars? Banana cream pie. That is the only reason. Although good, everything else here is a bit over priced. The whipped cream feels like eating a rich wonder cloud. The crust is a perfectly crunchy and the bananas just taste perfect with the cream.
If you go, get the pie!
Tip: Go early in the day or they will run out. Happened to me twice. Third time was the charm. -
Review from Bevy M.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
3,299 reviews weren't quite enough, so I decided to be the 3,300th person to affirm that yes, Tartine is a very special place indeed.
Yes. Everything, absolutely everything, is absolutely perfect.
And, when I die, I hope that wherever I end up is catered by Tartine's because I know I will want a slice of their purest most chocolate-gasmic chocolate fudge cake I've ever tasted!
Pricey? Hell yes! But so, so worth it!Listed in: Bakery Sweets for the Sweetest
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Review from Don T.
Seattle, WA
2/3/2012
Heavy is the king's crown. When you are ichiban in craft breadmaking, peeps can't help but hate. But please, can't we all just get along . . . break bread per se?
Actually, let's break THIS bread even 'cause it is ridiculous good. It is next-level, supernatural good. We got the country bread, and its crunchy crisp crust and tangy chewy crumb sent me to another planet where I ended a century-old martian civil war by serving this bread to the warring martian tribe factions. They confirmed for me that Chad Robertson is actually not of this universe. He's just visiting to school this realm on self-made leaven, fermentation control, etc.
Note: All the hype about waiting for the bread is na-na. I walked up at 4:30, waited for 1-2 minutes while other customers got croissants and such, asked for the bread, and got it with not much hold-up at all. Guess it was just noise. -
Review from Sabrina S.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
Delicious! This is what a bakery is supposed to be like. Busy, bustling with people sipping coffees and chowing down on Almond Frangipane, Coconut Cream Pies, and croissants that are to die for.
I would take a bag of treats here as a gift ANYDAY.
YUM! This place is as good as a European bakery! -
Review from Josh L.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
This place is the best, a lot of people around here put it down trying to be too cool for school, but it is good.
Tartine is tasteful and they do some things that an uninitiated person may not notice. Europeans like their breads very dark and carmelized and you can tell the owners have worked in Europe because their croissants are very brown on top, they are also made with butter v. shortening and they constantly rotate their offerings.
Some fun and traditional items like a French bouche noel at Christmas time let me know they don't take themselves too seriously nor are they trying to reinvent the wheel.
Don't hate Tartine because it is beautiful. -
Review from Burt H.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
Had the tres leches, was the bomb!! It was 3 day special ordered and well worth it:-)
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Review from Jennifer H.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
When I was a kid, I heard stories of how people in Russia would have to wait in long lines, just to buy simple things like bread and milk. It was unimaginable to me, what a sorry place, they had no choice but to stand out in the bitter cold for hours, just for a loaf of bread.
So I have to laugh at myself and my self imposed capitalist counterpoint --waiting on a freezing Sunday morning for 45 minutes (i'm sorry, but the line does NOT move that fast) --for fancy pastries and butter laden pressed sandwiches. We live in a land of ludicrous plenty --how many other amazing bakeries are there? (Mission Beach Cafe and Delessio, to name a few in the hood)... --But there I willingly stood, with dozens of other suckers, waiting for my chance at a chocolate eclair.
The wait wasn't so bad, because my husband just got me a new ipod nano and downloaded Dan Savage's podcast, so I had plenty to keep me entertained before my friend came. And I weathered the cold, because I was wearing my nice puffy north face down jacket (I may look ridiculous but I'm warm and you are not so shut up).
But the problem with waiting in the cold for 45 minutes is two fold. One, you start thinking, this food better be damn good. I mean, I could've finished my croissant and be back in bed had I gone to Mission Beach Cafe. And is it so much better? ehhhrrrrmmmm.... It's definitely worth a 15 minute wait. But 45? Really?
The second problem with the wait is that you can't just buy one cookie after waiting that long. You have to maximize the investment you made. For me, that meant buying gougeres, and a morning bun, and chocolate hazelnut tart, and a scone, and soppresata pesto pressed sandwich, and bread pudding, and a ham and cheese croissant. Do you see why this is a problem? Add in the tea and it was a 50 dollar expenditure. Of course I didn't eat it all in one setting or all by myself, but honestly, it's ridiculous.
Which brings us to WHY it's ridiculous --the food itself is soooo rich. I literally ate a third of my sandwich, that was it. Because in addition to the soppressata, cheese, and pesto, the sandwich was pressed and grilled with butter (or maybe olive oil? hope, hope?) so that it was crisp. The whole thing was just a brick of varying kinds of delicious fats. Note that I am not saying it's not delicious, it is. But it's SO heavy. And isn't it kind of cheating, like putting bacon on everything is just a shortcut to guarantee popularity? In fact, the main saving grace on that plate was the spicy pickled carrot, which is a mark of genius, to balance the richness.
So yes, Tartine is delicious. But when you see the line going past the front of their building, past the front of their kitchen, and past the house next to that, you really might want to remember those poor babushkas in Russia. Or your poor arteries. It's a great place, but maybe just a few times a year. -
Review from Caroline B.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
I had a Lemon Cream Tart. Maybe thats not the thing to have here, it was nothing to write home about. I imagined everything would be amazing like it is at Bouchon Bakery, but it wasn't.
Sitting outside was also less then satisfying as well as the overall feel of the place and people behind the counter.
It does not appear delicate or delicious like a good bakery should, neither did I feel tempted to indulge and I do not recall it smelled very delicious of baked goods either. -
Review from Vithiet L.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
After passing by so many times and wonder at the line as well as hear people raving about this place, I got to try.
It's not bad, don't get me wrong. But it's not exceptional either. Because of the name and reputation I was expecting all the pastries taste exactly like they do in France (I grew up there) but it's really not the case.
I would give 3.5 and maybe 4 stars but long line + parking situation + high price bring it down to 3. -
Review from Robert F.
2/2/2012
4.5 stars....We came with my wife's friends, who are SF locals and know great spots. Tightly packed, there is little seating and little room but the taste is big. It is very cute and the breads and pastries are top notch. But I think the savory stuff is just as good as the sweet....I recommend the Croque Monsieur and grilled cheese sandwiches. You can eat healthier here if you want, but that is no fun, not for weekend brunch or for being on vacation.
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Review from Steven B.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
Tartine Bakery is both a bakery and a small restaurant. I came around 1:30 on a weekday and they were still packed full of people eating. The line for their pastry wasn't too bad around this time. The layout of their bakery/restaurant is pretty awful as it's not very efficient. The only way to leave is to go through the tables to the exit.
Their pastry is DE-LI-CI-OUS! Morning buns should be the staple of what you're buying. They're that good! The outside is nicely baked to a golden brown while the inside is still soft and moist. I also liked their croissants since it was soft, flaky and crunchy. I haven't had their other pastries, but I'll definitely be back for some more. -
Review from Lawrence S.
Riverside, CA
1/27/2012
Went here with my wife during one of our trips. Loved it so much we continued to come back every morning until we left San Fran. The quiches were so absolutely fantastic. About the closest you'll get to a food orgasm. I sometimes wonder if I could get away with flying out to San Fran going straight here, picking up some pastries and flying right back before anyone would know I was gone. Very tempting.
Their selection is also very good as there are plenty of options to choose from. I understand why some people turn into "dear-in-headlights" at the counter but it is something to deal with as this place is popular and stays pretty busy.
If you happen to be in San Francisco, then you have to treat yourself to this place at least once before you go. Personally I think that's torture as you'll have to wait until the next time you come back to savor their delicious treats but hey, if you're into that, se la vie. -
Review from Lulu C.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
I would have given this place 4 stars, had it not been for the prices. Maybe i'm just cheap, but I bristle at ponying up $14 bucks for a sando.
Tartine by all accounts, is tasty. The shop is a smorgasboard of wonderful smells & mixed company. The decor is warm & homely. Nice to sit outside on the sidewalk seating when weather permits, and the location is fabulous. Right next to Dolores park!
I ordered the spicy turkey pesto ($13.50 + tax), one of their warm press sandwich options. It was delicious though i certainly did not taste any 'spicy'. The bread was a bit oily but it held its crunch. The pesto was generous, the turkey was not. Could have used another couple slices to hold up to the thickness of the bread. Came with an interesting little in-house pickled carrot.
I also purchased some pastries to bring home to my husband.
Buttermilk scone w/currant - $4+--yum! crumbly inside, great crunch on the outside with sprinkled sugar crystals.
Croissant - $3.95 --buttery & filling.
regular iced tea (no refills) $3 in a small stingy glass. *sigh* -
Review from Donna H.
Updated - 1/9/2012 6 photos
I don't know why it took me 4 years to try it. Maybe cuz it looks like a cinnamon roll, and I don't care for cinnamon rolls..
Five stars.. two words... Morning Bun.Listed in: tasty tasty
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/8/2007
update:
fragipane croissant - i was reluctant when i was offered a bite of the fragipane croissant..… Read more »
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Review from Stephanie Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friend was coming from Seattle and she was dying to try this place. We got the morning buns since they were all the raged, an almond filled croissant, and lemon cream tarts. I heard the banana cream tart was good, but they didn't have it that morning. I was there at 8:30am.
The morning bun was soft, but I wish it wasn't so sweet. Especially when you got to the middle where the orange glaze is the most concentrated, it was eating a chewy gummy candy. It started to stick to my teeth. The almond croissant was pretty burnt and the lemon tart was just ok. The crust was really sweet and after eating a quarter of it, I felt sick.
Try out the espresso bar too. I got the latte and it woke me up. I always get lattes and these were strong, plus it went down smooth. -
Review from Biqi C.
1/7/2012
Advice to first timers to Tartine:
Try to come here before 1pm if you want their best goods, and before 10am if you want to guarantee it. That pretty much means their morning bun (dyam that orange zest!!!), croissants (butter HEAVEN), coconut or banana creme pie, quiche, or bread pudding (I dont' love their bread puddings, but my aunt does), and gougeres. I love these things so much I bought Elizabeth's cookbook to learn how to make the croissants, and of course I got the bread book when it came out (one of my favorite reads of all time!).
And don't you ever, ever, go the few days before a major holiday (ie Thanksgiving or Christmas). They will run out of everything they have that is good, which means you're left with those weird friande things or their hazelnut torte, or mexican wedding cakes which are good, but not what Tartine is worth the journey for. Then you'll get all grumpy you paid like 7 dollars for something that's not what you wanted and a medicore latte, on top of that obnoxious hipster service (i'm just kidding, most of the girls there are very sweet). They won't even have country bread, which is usually sold out a week before the holidays. They might have their croques left, but let's face it, their croques aren't that awesome, you'd probably rather have an entire loaf of that country bread or their pressed sandwiches.
Shout out to their pressed sandwiches. I always get the one with the rapini and sopressata. *drools thinking about it*
Oh and one more thing, if you don't know about their country bread, you gotta call in and reserve a loaf 72 hours before hand. Or come around 4:45 day of, get your ass in line, and make sure that you are one of the first ones there as soon as it comes out of the oven. IT'S SOOOOO worth it, because the deliciousness of the bread decreases exponentially the longer you wait to put it in your mouth. trust. -
Review from Sung C.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
Tartine Bakery, I have been there about 5 times now and maybe I can write one or two things about it now!
They have some delicious breads here. I got there at 8 am to try their morning buns and it was worth every step i took to get here! their dessert menu is simple yet nicely prepared and tastes great. their almond croissant was delicious as well; it had a bit of burnt taste which complimented really well with other flavors.
I wish their layout were better so more people could sit down and enjoy the food but at the same time, it's not much of a place meant to have people sitted and stay there for long.
I can't wait to try their other stuff. -
Review from Misha T.
1/15/2012
Ridonkulously famous for a reason, tartine sells among other things expensive and amazing pastries. I say go for the lemon bar and the cookies. Lord those cookies...
I've always wanted to try a croque monsiuer here. One day... -
Review from Jeffrey Y.
Sacramento, CA
1/14/2012
Now I finally understand the buzz around this place!
The wait was only about 10 minutes on a sunny Saturday afternoon, definitely worth it for the delicious baked goods and sandwiches.
- Loved the sopressata pressed sandwich, where the slightly bitter and spicy broccoli rabe made it amazing. A little bread-heavy in proportion, but hey they're known for their freshly baked bread
- Brioche bread pudding was very good and not too expensive either. I'll be warming up the leftovers
- Morning buns were satisfying, though I would have expected a little more sticky yumminess to them (maybe because they were 5 hours old??) But glad to cross it off my 7x7 big eat list
- Four Barrel coffee was, interesting. Nothing beats Blue Bottle
Yes it's a little pricey, but you're in the Mission foodie area and the stuff is great quality. I still can't decide whether I like Bouchon or Tartine better - but both are top notch. Really enjoyed sitting at a table outside and people watching too. I didn't encounter the rude staff that some people complained about - they were pleasant girls, albeit efficient. -
Review from Erika W.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012
I finally went to Tartine after years of hearing about it from friends. And Wow!
The morning bun was good in so many ways- it was flaky, moist, crunchy, I could taste the butter, the glaze had a very distinct orange zest that set the flavor off. The lemon almond pound cake had the most amazing texture- I have never had such a good pound cake. Tartine clearly knows their business in the baking department. If you like baked goods, you really do owe it to yourself to get over to Tartine.
One star off because the coffee is absolutely miserable. It doesn't even taste like coffee. I would have brought it back and asked for a refund if that had been convenient in any way. If anyone actually reads this review #3,500 (just a guess on the number) take my word for it and get a coffee somewhere else. There are plenty of wonderful places nearby. Nowhere, however, will you find baked goods equal to Tartine's. -
Review from Matt L.
Monterey, CA
1/25/2012
I came here on a Saturday afternoon and only had to wait about 15 minutes. I ordered the lemon cream tart, an eclair, the lemon poppy seed pound cake, and a mocha. Everything was extraordinarily delicious (I was about to write something about what in particular was delicious, but truly, everything was. If I could pick two favorites, they would be the eclair and the pound cake).
Perhaps a 4.5 star; I really prefer to award 5s based on the experience which, here, was really in and out. But the taste alone deserves it. Kudos. -
Review from Brett N.
Tampa, FL
1/15/2012 2 photos
Why 5 stars? Because it was the best breakfast I've ever had.
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Ahhhh what a story. Five fun filled days in California, and this has been the most re-told story from the experience.
We arrive in San Francisco, check-in to the hotel and head to grab some food at Yelp stop #1 of the day (not Tartine.) We tell the owner of this little greek place that we just flew in from Tampa and that we found her on Yelp. A few minutes later, a regular customer and ex-employee walks in, to which the owner repeats our conversation. He joins my friend and I to ask us what other places we have in mind for our trip. We show him our list and he suddenly jumps up from the table to say, "Wait here, I'll be right back!"
He returns with a typed up sheet of places to eat and things to do in San Francisco. He said that he taught classes to foreign students and always gave them this list so that they could find things to do in the area. He told us that if we were to do one thing on this list, we absolutely must go to the first two listed: Tartine Bakery and Bi-Rite Creamery.
I had meticulously planned out every meal of the trip to this point, but this guy seemed to be a really great salesman. He was kind of a hippy and reminded us of one of the bad guys (not Joe Pesci) from Home Alone. So we had to trust him.
The next morning we followed his exact instructions, which were:
"Take the bus to such and such stop, once there, walk down the street and stop into Bi Rite Grocery, not to be confused with Bi-Rite Creamery, which you will visit later. But go into Bi Rite Grocery and pick out any kind of apple that you would like. Then, continue down the street to Tartine Bakery. Get the Ham and Cheese Croissant and then any kind of fruit tart."
We followed his instructions exactly and both had the best breakfast of our lives. WOW!
I don't know how you make a Ham and Cheese Croissant THAT much better than any other Ham and Cheese Croissant, but they did it.
I don't know how an apple can taste THAT much better and more complimenting to a meal than any other apple...but it was!
I had a PHENOMENAL Cappuccino as well that I have been hoping to find a duplicate of here in Tampa. Nay. Cannot be done.
Finally...I had a banana tart. It completed an absolutely perfect meal because it was absolutely out of this world.
I cannot say enough about Tartine and I will never visit SF again without going back and following that exact same blue print. -
Review from Anne T.
We saw a random guy sitting on a bench eating the most divine looking panini. He told us it was wild mushrooms. So we waited in line.. It went quickly and we were ready to order, but we didn't see the mushroom panini! Boo..
We had our heart set on it.. But chose the pastrami.. As we were about to order, my boyfriend asked if they had the wild mushroom panini, and she said "we sure do!"
Each hot panini takes about 20 minutes and they give you a letter (not number, a letter).. We chose to take our panini to go, but we soon realized that by the time our panini was ready, a table would open up! We could have saved a box.. Now we know! Patience is a virtue. -
Review from Kerina J.
Mission Hills, CA
1/16/2012
Do not be discouraged by the line out the door, because it moves fast and the pastries here are worth it. I have tried the hazelnut/chocolate tart, fig tart, and the lemon bar (all were phenomenal).
My 3-star rating is for the bread pudding. The day that I went, they must have overcooked it, because it had the texture of scrambled eggs and not bread pudding. It also did not look appetizing...but if it tasted good I could forgive its appearance. Unfortunately, it was bland and did not taste like bread pudding. I was even more sad that I paid $6+ dollars for it. Luckily, I had my other treats to stuff my face with... -
Review from dominic d.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012 5 Check-ins Here
I was walking north on Guerrero at about noon on a Sunday, just past 19th st, when all of a sudden the delicious siren smell of Tartine's baked goodness monstrosity hit my olfactory like a stampeding elephant on PCP. I had to wait in line, which, luckily for me, was very short (it didn't even extend outside).
Morning bun, almond croissant, ham and cheese croissant, cakes, cookies, bread pudding, tarts, breads..everything. is. so. damn. good. It's not even fair.
I never even had a chance. -
Review from Sarah T.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012
Oh dear, the banana cream pie really is quite a treat - the flakiness of the crust plus the chocolate is divine. I've only had it once because every other time I come it's been sold out! :( I've had to settle for the coconut cream pie, though that is delicious too - it's the same concept except the filling is different. It's a whopping $40 for the larger party version though.
The croissants are also flaky, buttery, all that you want in a great croissant.
Parking sucks of course. And there's often a line around the corner. -_- And you pay the price of an elite bakery. -
Review from Malyssa C.
San Jose, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
The line outside was quite daunting at first, but we had plenty of time to kill, so decided to give this place a try. The line moved very quickly and we were at the front before we knew it!
The boyfriend and I ordered the croque monsieur with wild mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, served with spicy pickled carrots on the side. The croque monsieur was magical .. the flavors blended so nicely and the bread itself was so soft and buttery. The spicy pickled carrots were .. interesting. Haha. Don't get me wrong, it was good! Within one bite, your taste buds were quickly shocked with flavors of tart and spiciness. It was madness I tell you!
Everything else on display looked good as well. Unfortunately, they were out of the famous morning bun when we came ): I plan to come back for that as well as the bread pudding! There is both indoor and outdoor seating, so just be patient and you'll most likely be able to find a place to sit and eat! -
Review from Andrew D.
Burlingame, CA
1/2/2012
This place is full of tourists and greatly overrated, With so many good bakeries and restaurants in the Bay Area this place is just okay.
The food is good but really not worth jostling for position to try to get a seat while trying to balance your coffee and your slice of overpriced cake while you get shoved around.
Hazelnut chocolate torte was bland, the lemon meringue cake was mediocre, and the croque monsieur was good but in Paris it would be a dime a dozen. -
Review from Betty L.
Fremont, CA
1/15/2012
I heard of Tartine Bakery via my food obsessed friend, but our resolve to make a trip to Tartine bakery was strengthened after a visit to the SF MOMA, where we spotted the Tartine Bread book in the museum store. It was a sign.
On a side note, if you decide to venture to the area, stop by Bi-Rite Creamery, which is right down this yummy block. The BI-Rite Market is also bustling and cute, with a decent selection of chocolate!
We approached from Bi-Rite Creamery towards the corner surrounded with rubble and orange cones, yet sandwiched between the building and orange cones were cute round tables with people sitting in them, eating pastries and drinking soup. There were dogs sitting under tables and books being read. Aha, it's a cafe or bakery! So we venture forth and our instincts have drawn us to the right destination - the famous Tartine Bakery. We pick our way past the rubble, and we are greeted on the left by a lovely row of pastries. Pie, tarts, macaroons. Further along are the bread - oh the bread! Morning bun, pumpkin bread, croissants! The service was great, and the pastries did not disappoint. The pumpkin bread was a bit oily, but the ham and cheese croissant was scrumptious. My friend had the morning bun, which, after tasting a bit, I can honestly say it was delicious.
We walk out, and we're rewarded with a peek into their kitchen. Along the window we see cheese graters of all sizes and whisks ranging from the size of a watermelon to that of a tablespoon.
If you see construction going on, don't hesitate to go in. It's well worth it. It's a little pricey, but still, I'm someone who will spend money on food. -
Review from freckle b.
Westminster, CO
12/29/2011
The staff's sour attitude and poor service ruined my sweet-tasting treats.
(The treats weren't that impressive either.) -
Review from Cathy C.
Berkeley, CA
1/9/2012
YUMMMMMM.
I went here once a couple of weeks ago and I have been craving it lately..I didn't know what the bakery was called until I looked at my past pictures and took a picture of the sign. So happy I found it on here!!
I don't really go to (American) bakeries often...I think this was one of my first ones. Since I don't really have much to compare this bakery with, I have to say that the food is SO good!
The line was very long but went by very fast. And well worth the wait imo.
I got the croque because it looked DELICIOUS. I was originally going to get a sandwich but when I saw this I was like whoooa. Gotta try a piece of THAT. And it was heavenly :))) Also got the banana cream pie which I didn't know it was known for... I just got it because it looked good. And it was delicious as well!
I want to come here again soon! I remember looking at the display of food and I wanted to get absolutely everything. This will be my New Years Resolution :D
Lastly, there's a park really near this bakery so we decided to eat there, and I suggest you do the same! It's a huge park with a ton of people that are also chilling outside and some random person had a boom box (haha.....) so there was music as well. Great atmosphere to eat such good food..! Oh yeah, some guy wanted to sell us some weed too...sorry buddy. -
Review from Mish L.
Coconut macarons & coffee. It's the perfect mid-bar crawl snack! :-)
Stopped by here purely by chance on the early side of our Friday night. And guess what? There was no lines, plenty of warmth and live music!
Delicious nubbins of coconut balls (macarons) made the perfect snack -- I loved these. Not overly sweet, perfect texture and if you love coconut, you'll love this. Grabbed a small coffee (one of the best cups I've had to date!) to combat the beer sleepies, sat for a spell and then before you know it, we had our second wind and was on our way.
Plenty of other goodies in the window to try. Will have to come back for another snack & coffee fix! Yum!Listed in: Sweet Treats
-
Review from yanli x.
East Hanover, NJ
12/31/2011
The bread pudding is amazing!
Can't wait to come back. -
Review from Mike P.
Brentwood, CA
1/14/2012
Pastries are good, bread is good, sandwiches are meh. Overall it's overrated and overpriced.
The morning bun, and chocolate croissant, are good but nothing extraordinary. The bread pudding is really tasty.
The croque monsieur and the humboldt fog sandwich are both okay but nothing special. -
Review from Lana N.
Stopped in at Tartine after having Ike's and Bi-Rite since I was with a group of visiting friends and we were determined to have the creme de le creme that SF had to offer... so despite being stuffed, we had to stop and at least grab a few goodies to-go.
The selection is pretty extensive, but I was here to try their morning buns - which they luckily still had in stock. The wait at ~1pm was out the door and probably 10-15 minutes long. The line was tightly packed up along the walls of the small interior and overall it was like being in a can of packed sardines... I would probably avoid ever dining in here due to how cramped everything is, unless it was a nice day and I could nab the 1 or 2 tables they have outside.
The morning bun ($3.75) is quite large and the orange zest in there gives it a nice "wake-up its morning!" kick; however Tartine's morning buns also have an [overly] sticky and syrupy quality to them that I didn't care for as much. Maybe I shouldn't have heated it up in microwave? but I think I personally prefer the clean and crispy, fluffy morning buns from La Farine in Berkeley... but overall, this was a delicious and solid offering from Tartine
I'm not sure if Tartine is quite "BEST BAKERY" ever title worthy if you ask me, but I'll probably stop by again since I frequent SF quite more often than Berkeley now-a-days... plus I'd like to try and see if their bread pudding and banana cream tart are worth the hype and Food Networks' claims of Tartine producing "The Best Thing I've Ever Ate".
